Bengaluru : According to reports, Arjun, the Malayali truck driver who went missing after landslide in Karnataka , is trapped beneath mud with at least 15 others. Apart from the lorry Arjun rode, a car too became buried under layers of mud at the disaster site along national highway in Shirur. Meanwhile, rescue operations were called off owing to heavy rains. A GPS tracking indicates presence of truck and a Benz car beneath.
Seven bodies were recovered in Shirur village Tuesday morning where landslide struck three days ago. People riding vehicles typically stop at the site for refreshments at a tea stall located there.
Criticism is rife that rescue operations are at snail pace. Only soil on road has been removed so far, despite three days into the disaster. There are just 3 JCBs on site, a number that’s meagre compared to magnitude of the landslide. Worse, the search and rescue has been called off owing to bad weather. And then there is Gagavati river is overflowing posing further impediment to the rescue operations. Assistance from the Navy has been solicited meanwhile.
Kerala made forceful intervention in the matter. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called for speedy operations and action. Minister Mohammed Riyas and K Rajan had direct conversation with authorities in Karnataka. The Ministers assured there would be effective interventions made.
